Something More
by Clato123
Summary: Gale never cared for Madge. Disliked her. She never paid attention to him, why should she? He hated her. Until Katniss was reaped. Again. Madge needed someone to lean on. He needed a friend, though he'd never tell her. She came to him. Because she knew he was Katniss's friend. Because she knew he cared for Katniss. And soon enough, he ended up caring for Madge too.
1. Chapter 1

No. _No__. _This isn't happening. It can't be.

"Peeta Mellark, who has just volunteered for Haymitch Abernathy. That was very brave of you, Peeta"

Effie tries to look happy, but through her makeup I can tell she's a bit upset. Maybe she got more attached to Katniss and Peeta than I thought. My heart speeds up, and I start breathing faster and faster.

I don't realize I'm mumbling "No", until the girl beside me shoves me to be quiet.

I look at Haymitch, who's letting out a stream of curses under his breath.

Katniss'll stay strong for her family in the visits, maybe me. Not Gale, though.

"There will be no visitors" A Peacekeeper starts to take Katniss and Peeta away, and a man from the Seam grabs his arm.

"Why not?" The man asks furiously, and a Peacekeeper pulls out a gun. The man glares him in the eyes. I look away, not wanting to know what happens.

All I hear is a gun shot, and a young girls scream.

I walk away, biting my lip trying not cry.

Katniss. Gone. _Again_.

"Hey!" I hear Gale yelling, and turn back around. I look at him, hoping for him to look at me. He starts to advance towards the Peacekeeper, and then glances at me. I shake my head, trying to tell him that Katniss wouldn't want him to do this. He huffs, and storms away.

I sigh in relief, and glance at Katniss one last time before they take her into the train, tears springing into my eyes.

I start to walk in the other direction, towards my house. It starts to drizzle, and I don't speed up any, still walking, tears running freely down my face now.

It starts pouring, and I still walk, almost to my house. I reach my house, shivering and sobbing.

I turn the doorknob, and its locked. I fumble for a key, looking under the mat. I find it, and open the door, dripping all over the wood floors. "Madge!" My Father sits up immediately, walking to reach me. "What happened?" He looks at me, and I bite my lip. "Katniss...Peeta...the Quarter Quell...again" I choke out, and walk up the stairs, heading towards my room.

I open the door to my pale purple room, and sit on my bed, still dripping. I put my face in my hands, my thoughts racing.

_I__'__m __so __ignorant__. _If I feel this bad, _what __about __Katniss__'__s __family__? _And Gale?

I lift my head up, and just stare at the wall.

She's gone.

Again.

_A __train __arrives__. __Gold __and __silver__, __it __must b__e __from __the __Capitol__. __I __walk __outside__, __not __caring __about __the __crowd __gathering __around __it__, __I p__ush __to __the __front__. __Its __a __sunny __day__, __a __lovely __day__. __I __smile__s lightly__, __and __then __a __box __comes __out __of __the __train__. __Its __large__, __yes__, __its __pretty __large__. __Large __enough __to __hold __a __human__..._

_To __hold __a __human__. __Its __a__...__casket__. _

_I __gasp__, __and __several __others __do __as __well__, __and __Gale __glares __at __the __box__._

_I __recognize __the __token __on __top__._

_Its __Peeta __Mellark__._

_My __eyes __go __wide __and start to __fill __with __tears__, tears __for __the __Bakers __Son__. _

_Peeta__'__s __Father __looks __away__. __His __Mother __does __the __same__. __A __Peacekeeper __pulls __something __else __out__, __and __I __get __a __look __at __it__._

_Another __box__._

_With __a __Mockingjay __pin o__n __top__._

_I __let o__ut __another __gasp__, __and __tears __run __down __my __face__. __Gale __looks __away__, __tears __streaming __down __his __face __also__. _

_They__'__re __both __dead__._

_Both__._

_Dead__._

_Dead__._

_Both. _

_Gone__._

_Forever__._

I wake up with a jolt, not even realizing I fell asleep. I sigh in relief, for they are both still alive.

For now. I look at the clock...I slept through the whole night. It's about eight am.

The doorbell rings, and I walk towards the door of my room, getting a glance of myself in my mirror.

The first thing I see is my tear-stained face, and my red eyes. I look again, quickly running a brush through my curly blonde hair.

I hear my Father talking to his friend before I make it down the stairs.

He looks at me. "Madge, darling why don't you go get something for me from the market? There's an order I put in with for shoes, you can go pick that up" My Father smiles, ushering me out.

I clean up my appearence a bit, changing my clothes. I head out the front door, hoping I'd covered up how awful I looked earlier.

"How can I help you?" The shoemaker looks at me, and I answer "Is there an order for Undersee?" His eyes widen a bit on Undersee, realizing who I am. "Oh, um, oh yes, Miss. Right here, Ma'am" He fumbles around, looking for a box. I take it. "Thank you Sir. Have a nice day" I smile and walk off, something falling out of the box. I reach down to pick it up.

Its a note.

_Failure __in__ 8_

_Progress __in__ 10_

_Progress __in__ 4_

_Progress __in__ 11_

_Progress __in__ 5_

Its obviously meant for my Father...I look at it again, trying to make sence of the words. I put it back in the box, and head back home, not wanting to be nosy.

"Father? I'm back!" I yell, and there's not an answer. He must be upstairs...

I walk up the stairs, and something makes me stop.

The words: _miners_,_killed_, and _Rebel__. _

I can't help it. I stop, listening.

"I don't know...thats what they tried in eight.." I glance at the note. _Failure__in__ 8. _

"It's dangerous, not now...I know, the miners want to, but.."

Want to what?

I'm only hearing my Father's friends side of the conversation.

"That could work...Really? That's good...when do you think Madge'll be back?"

They're talking about the note.

"Tomorrow? You should tell her...I know, but at least to stay out of the square.."

Somethings happening tomorrow...in the square. How have I been so oblivious to this? This...rebellion?

I shake my head, remembering I shouldn't be nosy.

I head back down the steps quietly.

"Father? I got the shoes!" I yell again, and this time he comes out of his study. "Oh, thats good Madge. Thank you" He takes them, and I see his hand linger on the note, before taking the whole box.

I head up the stairs after him, and he goes back into his study.

I want to listen more, but I know that's rude, so I head to my room. My thoughts race as the sun starts to set.

_Katniss__. __Peeta__. __Rebellion__._

_Katniss__. __Rebellion__. __Peeta__._

_Peeta__. __Rebellion__. _

_Katniss__._

_Gale__._

I shake my head, a bit shocked I thought of Gale. _Gale__? _

Its just because he's Katniss's friend.

That's all...

Or is it?


	2. Chapter 2

I shake my head. My silly 14 year old crushes can't be coming back, not now. There's too much going on. Besides, that's not why I thought of him, it's because he's Katniss's friend. Right?

I glance at the clock, a bit shocked at how late it is.

I lay down, and can't seem to fall asleep. My thoughts spin around in my head, letting me wonder what's happened to Katniss and Peeta.

I can't allow myself to watch the games.

_Katniss__._

_Peeta__._

_Gale__._

_Rebellion__._

I can't let my thoughts wander like this. I sit up, and pace around my room at 1:00 am. I head down the stairs.

I smile slightly as I see the grand piano in our living room. I press the keys lightly, and sit down, playing 'Kiss the rain', humming the tune softly.

My Mother stumbles down the stairs. I stand up and rush over to help her. "Mother! What are you doing?" I help her down the stairs and sit her on the couch beside me. "Couldn't sleep...need more morphine.." She whispers, and I nod quickly. "Ok..don't move" I run into our kitchen, trying to remember where the morphine is.

I dig through several cabinets before pulling it out and giving it to her. She smiles weakly, and I help her back up the stairs into her room.

I lay her down in her bed, and with the morphine she's out quickly. I sigh and head up to my room. I should fall asleep...but I can't. My thoughts begin to wonder again, and I groan when the topic of 'Gale' comes up again.

At about 3:00 am I fall asleep, tiredness overcoming me.

I slip out of my sleepy state at around 11. I yawn and sit up, walking down the stairs to see my Father's friend leaving. It's the same friend he talked to about rebellion. His name is John...he has a daughter who's ten. I freeze in place.

"_Another __minor__. __They __seem __to __be __getting even __more __violent__, __wanting __it __more__"._

"_At __least__ 5 __killed __this __week__.."_

"_I __think t__hey__'__re __starting __to __suspect __us__.."_

"_No__, __you__'__re __right__. __Goodbye__, __John__"_

My heartbeat speeds up. _They__'__re __starting __to __suspect __us__? __Five __minor__'__s k__illed __this __week__? _

I shake my head and start to walk down the stairs, deciding since he left, they won't suspect me. My Father smiles slightly. I smile half-heartedly back, and he sighs. "Madge, you should really get out of the house. Go have fun with your friends"

I frown and he realizes his mistake. _Friends__. _Katniss was my only real friend...I mean, of all the people from the town, Peeta wasn't half bad. I just never knew him that well. None of the 'town kids' really liked me, because I never made fun of the kids in the Seam. The kids from the Seam never liked me because I was from the Town. See my problem?

"Oh...sorry. Just...get out of the house, Madge. You shouldn't be cooped up in here all day"

I sigh and walk back up to my room, changing my clothes and brushing my hair. I walk back down the steps, and my Father grins, "Have fun". He practically pushes me out the door.

_Where a__m __I __going __to __go__? _

I look around, and realize the only person I know of that could be having just as hard of a time (and maybe harder) as me, is Gale.

I start to walk through the Seam, and then I realize I don't know where he lives, either. I turn to the first person I see in one of the market shops.

"Excuse me, do you know where the Hawthornes live?" I ask her, and she sends me a glare, obviously noticing I'm not from the Seam. "Why? Are you a friend of theirs, Miss _Undersee_?" She spits out my last name as if its a curse word and I nod. "Actually...yes. Now can you just tell me where the Hawthornes live?" She scoffs at my answer. "Like I'll believe that_" _"No, I'm serious, please just-" She cuts me off. "No".

I frown. "Why not? Can't you just-" "No".

A boy taps me on the shoulder and I turn around. I look at him. He resembles Gale quite a bit, and is my height. "Yes?" I ask him and he looks at me. "You're looking for the Hawthornes?" I nod. "I'm Rory Hawthorne. Gale's brother" He holds out his hand and I shake it. Isn't he only a year older than Prim? "Nice to meet you... Is Gale around?" I ask him and he checks his watch. "Not now, he gets home from the mines at 7:30. He'll be back in 30 minutes. Do you want to come back with me? We can wait for him there" He looks at me and I glance towards the mines, and then back at him. "Sure" I nod, and he starts to walk through the Seam. I follow him.

"So what'd you say your name was?" He turns to me, and I answer "It's Madge...Madge Undersee"

His eyes go wide on Undersee. "The...The Mayor's daughter?"

"Yeah" I look at him and he looks surprised. "Why are you in the Seam?" He opens the dorr to a small, cozy house near the Everdeen's old house. "Looking for Gale" He sits on a couch nearby and I just stand by the door awkwardly.

His Mother walks in the door a few minutes later, carrying the largest load of laundry I've ever seen. "Oh, goodness, let me help you" I take a bundle of clothes off the top and she looks at me. "Madge, what are you doing here?" She takes the clothes back, and I look at her. "I was looking for Gale...he should be home soon" She gives me a bit of a surprised nod, and then turns to the bucket of water, dunking and scrubbing the clothing. "Do you need help?" My eyes glance at the rather large pile of clothing next to her, and she shakes her head. "Are you sure?" I ask her again, as Gale walks in the door, stopping in his tracks when he sees me.

He stares at me, and then gruffly says "What do you want?"

I look at him, his grey eyes showing no expression. "To talk to you" He gives me a weird look, at then gestures towards a back door. "Make it quick" He walks out on the back porch, and I follow him.


End file.
